The Most Important Thing: Customer Service

Dealing with your clients in a friendly, ethical, honest, and consistent manner is critical to your success as a consultant. Know what their rights are. Give them everything they're entitled to. Work with integrity. When things do go wrong, surprise them with your speedy response time, your approachable demeanour, and your positive attitude.

Here are a few areas to focus on:

Booking gifts - You are responsible for keeping track of the booking gifts a hostess has earned. Don't make her call you to ask where it is. You call her and let her know the progress she's made. Action: I'm going to write it in my diary 60 days after each show to call the host and let them know.

Replacement orders - READ Section 14, page 14-16. Really, go get your manual and READ those pages. Let all of your guests know that they should contact the host immediately to report any issues with their order. Get the new product to the customer right away by submitting a replacement order. The replacements will be sent quickly and without question. Get the other products at your convenience and bring them to me with the pink slip at the next Unit Meeting.

Returns - Even in the best of worlds, returns are occasionally going to happen. The customer may even change her mind even before the order is delivered. She's allowed to - that's the law. What you need to know is that returns impact the product credit that had been earned by your host and they also impact the commission you earned. Sadly, they also might impact rewards you thought you had earned. Just be aware of that. If it happens, put on a happy face, talk openly to your host about the implications, and get through it.

Order processing - It simply isn't fair to anyone for you to delay putting an order into the system. Unless every buying guest at the show knows that you will be delaying the order entry, they will expect to get their goods within 5-10 business days of the show. Be clear with the whole group that you will process the show once you receive all payments. Work with the host to get all payments on the day. Call people if you are delayed. It's only right.

Deliveries - Make sure your host is aware of who gets what. Either give her a copy of each order form or send her the order summary once you place the order. Importantly, make sure she knows that it is her responsibility to get the goods out to her guests. I let my hosts know that they get 20 percent product credit in return for the food, drinks, and deliveries. I also let the guests know that the order will come to the host and that she will get the orders to them. Action: Call your hosts once the order has been shipped, go through the process for them, make sure they have everything they need, and remind them to tell their guests that the order has arrived.